I cannot begin to convey the extreme seriousness of what has just happened in America. President Bush has been authorized by Congress to become the United States first Dictator. This is NOT hyperbole, I wish it was.

The Constitutional guarantees, afforded to every single US citizen have just been utterly and completely destroyed. Under this new legislation, NO AMERICAN has any protections WHATSOEVER under the Bill of Rights or the US Constitution. NONE.

Never before in the history of this country (since we stoled it from the American Indian) has American liberties and freedoms seen such an assault. Even worse, no Court is even allowed to challenge this new legislation, making it a defacto law, irrevocable and forever permanent.

This legislation -

authorizes the president to seize American citizens as enemy combatants, even if they have never left the United States. And once thrown into military prison, they cannot expect a trial by their peers or any other of the normal protections of the Bill of Rights.

American citizens, at the whim of the President, can be held for life, tortured, denied all “rights”, and left to rot. Only a dictator would require such power (and a cowardly one at that).

The simple challenge of Bush policies (war protest, 9/11 investigation, VA funding, anything) - can now be labeled as terrorist act and you can personally be subjected to a lifetime of torture, detention and denial of all basic human rights.

Since with this bill, in the aggregate, Bush has declared himself to be above the Constitution and the laws of the United States, the allegiance of American citizens is no longer to the flag or the freedoms for which it stands, but to Bush himself, the self-appointed dictator, and any diversion from that allegiance will mandate arrest, torture and conviction in a military tribunal under the terms of this bill.

The bill also allows hearsay evidence (obtained via phony confessions after torture) to be considered by the military tribunal and bars the suspect from even having knowledge of the charges against him - making a case for defense impossible. This is guaranteed to produce 100% conviction rates as you would expect in the dictatorships of Uzbekistan or Zimbabwe.

Now let’s be calm for a moment. Why would the President of the United States need such powers? To what purpose? And why now? What particular threat is there that exist today that has never existed before?

The war in Iraq? We’ve had many wars before, and such power was never granted. Afghanistan? No, that can’t be the reason either. The war on terror? Hmm, maybe we’re getting closer. What better way to fight terror then to promote terror? Or put a little more clearly, what better way to promote terror then to perpetuate the war?

And why here? Why is this power needed against Americans? Because Americans have had quite enough of Herr Fuhrer already. They do not approve of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they do not approve of the use of taxpayer dollars over there, nor do they approve of the torture, rendition, and prison camps being used around the world, the secret military tribunals, nor the shame this monster in office has brought upon America. Nor do they approve of his Cabinet or his Administration or anything Bush does.  Most thinking, warm-blooded and concerned human beings around the world don’t approve of Bush of what Bush does. We all want him GONE, the sooner the better.

So that is why Bush demanded (and got, which is very, very upsetting and very strange) this power from Congress. Clearly, our cowardly Congress once again utterly failed to safeguard the American people. The Pearl Harbor event of 9/11 was nothing compared to what just happened. An entire nation of nearly 300 million people are now subjects and slaves to the whims of one man.  Correction - the entire world is now at risk to the whims of one man.  This legislation permits Bush to imprison and torture ANYBODY.
But it’s not just “one man” as many assume (and many also assume he’s going away in 2008). The President can give this power to whoever he likes.  And he will (don’t forget, he already HAS) -

if the Pentagon says you’re an unlawful enemy combatant — using whatever criteria they wish — then as far as Congress, and U.S. law, is concerned, you are one, whether or not you have had any connection to “hostilities” at all.

So far, nobody has yet blogged or seemed to “notice” another extremely ominious development here - the US military, prohibited by Posse Commitatus, can now act illegally under this legislation, within American borders, arresting, detaining and torturing Americans.  Under this new legislation, anything goes (just watch for it, you’ll see).
You can stop wondering about all those fine men and women in Iraq who are going to be coming home one day, the experiences they gained in Iraq are going to serve them well in America. That’s right. What do you think is going to happen? The blind obesience to the Fuhrer will continue right on down the line right here in America. You can already see it.

We have established that the bill allows the President to define American citizens as enemy combatants. Now let’s take it one step further.

Before this article is dismissed as another extremist hyperbolic rant, please take a few minutes out of your day to check for yourself the claim that Bush now has not only the legal authority but the active blessings of his own advisors to torture American children.

Hard to believe? You’d better, it’s already happening at Abu Ghraib. The only difference, now abolished, was previously, there was no legislation permitting this type of abuse (but notably, they did it anyway). Now there is - and it’s targeted right dab squarely at every single American.  This is no accident.
If you want to gain some idea just how horrifying and horrible our collective future in America is going to be, listen to one of those tapes as American soldiers sodomize children.

And now they’ve been given the power to do it here.

Pedophiles nationwide should rejoice - they can comfortably take a stroll down to the local swimming pool, grab whoever they like, drag them home, rape and torture them, and then in their defense cite the U.S. government as an example of how one should conduct themselves.

The bill also retroactively gives Bush, the Neo-Cons or any of their henchmen immunity from war crimes charges dating back to September 11. Ask yourself why they would be so careful to protect themselves from accusations of war crimes. Might they have had something to do with 9/11 and the ongoing coverup? Or the growing worldwide dissension that Bush & Co., are actively destroying the freedoms of peoples all the way around the world?

Do not forget - he is using Americans do to this.  These are Americans that are obeying and following his orders.  It is Americans who are involved in the torture, the renditions, the scandals and the coverups.  We cannot blame anyone but ourselves. 

Wake up America! If you don’t, you are going to experience the worst nightmare of your life. If you’re not preparing, somehow, to survive this, then your preparing (by simply doing nothing) to accept this. Is that what you want?  To stand silently by and watch 217 years of freedom to be stolen from you at the stroke of a pen?

Make your choice. The final line in the sand has now been drawn, which side will you stand on?